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Amid a ongoing crackdown to exert greater control over internet access, state authorities have restricted access to the social media app Snapchat and enacted limitations on Apple's FaceTime service, FaceTime.

Official Reasons for the Ban

The state internet regulator Roskomnadzor stated that both applications were utilized to facilitate and carry out terrorist acts within the country, to recruit perpetrators and carry out fraud as well as various crimes against citizens.

Officials reported it took action against Snapchat back on the 10th of October, although the announcement was only made public more recently.

Wider Context of Online Restrictions

These new restrictions follow comparable restrictions imposed on key apps including Google's YouTube, Meta's WhatsApp and Instagram, and the Telegram messaging service. This wave of bans intensified following the 2022 military action of Ukraine.

During the tenure of Vladimir Putin, the government have pursued deliberate and multi-pronged efforts to curtail the digital space. Measures have included:

• Adopting stringent legislation.
• Blocking digital platforms that do not comply with Russian regulations.
• Advancing systems to monitor and manipulate internet traffic.

Recent Examples of Blocks

Service for the YouTube platform was slowed in the past in an incident described as intentional slowing by the authorities. The Kremlin attributed the issue to YouTube's owner, Google for allegedly neglecting its servers in Russia.

In recent months, authorities limited online access with broad shutdowns of cellular data connections. Officials claimed this was required to thwart Ukrainian drone attacks, but experts argued an additional move to increase control over the digital landscape.

Action Against Messaging Apps

Regulators has also targeted widely-used communication apps. The encrypted app Signal and the Viber service, Viber, were restricted in 2024. Additionally, officials banned calls via the WhatsApp app and Telegram, defending the ban by claiming the two apps were being facilitating illegal activities.

Simultaneously, authorities have championed a dubbed "domestic" communication platform called "Max". Observers regard it as a possible surveillance tool. The platform explicitly states it will hand over data with officials if demanded, and experts note it does not use full encryption.

Regulatory Basis and Analyst Analysis

Per lawyer and expert Stanislav Seleznev, the legal framework defines any service where people can communicate as an "information dissemination organizer".

This designation obligates that such services have an account with the regulator and grant state security with access to user accounts. Platforms that fail to comply are non-compliant and face blocking.

Seleznev estimated that perhaps a large number of users in Russia had been using FaceTime, particularly after voice calls were prohibited on other messaging apps. He described the restrictions against the service as "expected" and stated that other platforms that do not cooperate with Roskomnadzor "face blocking – that's obvious."

Entertainment Platforms Too Affected

In a separate move, the authorities reported it was blocking the online game platform Roblox, citing child protection from illicit content. According to research group Mediascope, Roblox was the second-largest gaming site in Russia recently, with approximately 8 million players.

Although it remains possible to get around a few of these blocks by utilizing VPN services, those are routinely blocked by the regulator as well.